Poetry sets Arts Alive tone

Don Mattera will perform a specially commissioned poem he wrote for Arts Alive, in collaboration with Pops Mohamed, to open the month-long arts festival.
THERE will most definitely not be a shortage of word-driven events at this year’s Joburg Arts Alive International Festival, whether it’s a poetry slam or authors and musicians in conversation.

Songbird Abigail Kubheka will talk about her music careerSongbird Abigail Kubeka will talk about her music careerArts Alive is the City’s annual flagship festival, which runs from 1 to 25 September, showcasing everything from art, visual art and music to dance, theatre and all else in-between.
It is undertaken annually by the City’s department of arts, culture and heritage, along with other local, national and international partnering organisations.

This year, the Joburg poet, Don Mattera, was commissioned to write a piece that reflects the importance of art to society, which he will perform in a collaboration with musician Pops Mohamed on the opening night. With his poetry, Mattera performs, he entertains, he creates images; and he will kick-off the spoken word, which will be significant springboard for the entire festival, notes JT Communication Solutions, the festival’s publicist.

Spoken Word will continue with a bang on 2 September, at the Drama for Life National Grand Slam at the Wits Main Theatre. And Poetry Slam, taking place at the Joburg Theatre’s Space.com during the entire month, will be showcasing emerging poets.

Arts Alive will also partner with the Department of Arts and Culture’s National Book Week this year, which will run from 8 to 10 September at Museum Africa. Words on Water: India and South Africa in Conversation, will return to Joburg on 13 and 14 September at Wits.

Author Namita Devidayal, who wrote The Music Room and Aftertaste; the director, actor and playwright, Mahesh Dattani, who worked on Final Solutions, Dance Like A Man and Bravely Fought the Queen; and the author and journalist, MJ Akbar, will participate in conversations and share insight.

Dattani’s play, Dance Like a Man, is one of the highlights of the festival’s theatre programme.

On 14 September, it’s the turn of the singer, Abigail Kubeka, to relate the journey she has taken to become one of the country’s most revered vocalists and performers. Then on 24 September, Thuba Letu Poetry Revolution promises a thrilling line-up of young African arts, music and poetry at the Goethe Institute.

For more information on these events and the full Arts Alive 2011 programme, visit the festival website.